Road to Recovery /  by Justin Merriman

Lena Davenport, 50, of Wilkinsburg, poses for a portrait in her home on Tuesday April 8, 2014. Davenport was shot in the face by police on January 13, 2013 in a chase on the South Side. "I've always defended the police," she said speaking about her life before the incident.  Now, she explains that she holds no animosity but says, "I want the best outcome for everybody."

Forever Marilyn /  by Justin Merriman

A 36,000-pound Marilyn Monroe sculpture stops at PPG Plaza, Downtown on a rainy Monday afternoon.  Artist Seward Johnson's 25-foot-tall "Forever Marilyn" is en route to Hamilton, NJ from Palm Springs, CA, and stopped in Pittsburgh as it's 10th and final stop for the traveling sculpture.

Dog Show /  by Justin Merriman

 Megan Anderson prepares her dog, Champion Bellisarius J.P. Hat n Tails, "Errol" a Borzoi at the Western Pennsylvania Kennel Association Dog Show at the Monroeville Convention Center on Sunday, April 6, 2014.
 Cheyenne Brown, 6, of Wilmington, OH holds "Fancy"an Ibizan Hound.
 Julie Schaeffer of Fredonia, NY gives her 18-month-old Irish Wolfhound a hug before entering the ring at the dog show.
 Dogs line up to be shown at the Western Pennsylvania Kennel Association Dog Show.
 Danali, a Chinese Crested, watches the action at dog show. 
 Charlie & Terry Brownfield of Greensburg sit with Serena, left,  and April, right, Papillons who were shown at the dog show. April took best of breed and Serena took best of opposite sex and winners.
Caroline Clegg, 13, of Cincinnati, Ohio sits with "Rumor" before showing him in the Junior Showmanship category.

Chernobyl /  by Justin Merriman

 A doll rests on a bunk bed in an abandoned nursery school abandoned since 1986 in Kopachi Village in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  The school is one of the few remaining structures from the village that was torn down and buried after being contaminated by fallout from the Chernobyl disaster.
 An abandoned home sits along an overgrown street inside Chernobyl's exclusion zone, an area of 30 kilometers around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster of April 26, 1986.
 The remains of an abandoned nursery school in Kopachi Village.
 A magazine lays on a floor covered in items left behind in an abandoned home inside of Chernobyl's exclusion zone.
 Chernobyl's reactor No. 4, which exploded on April 26, 1986, creating the worst nuclear power plant accident in history.
The site of the former Red Forest, a forest surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant which received its name from the ginger-brown color of the trees after they absorbed high levels of radiation from the nuclear accident in 1986. In the cleanup after the disaster the Red Forest was bulldozed and buried, yet the area remains one of the most contaminated areas in the world today. 
 A ferris wheel stands tall above the overgrown brush in Pripyat.  The Pripyat amusement park was scheduled to officially open May 1, 1986, but was left abandoned after the Chernobyl disaster.
 An abandoned home inside Chernobyl's exclusion zone.
 Misha Tefflenko, 25, a government tour guide, who lives in Chernobyl, (staying 15 days inside the town and 15 days outside), is reflected in the window of an abandoned nursery school in Kopachi Village. 
 A doll lays in the leaves inside of Chernobyl's exclusion zone. 
 An abandoned home inside of the exclusion zone. 
 Tourists take a photo of themselves in front of the Pripyat sign inside of the Chernobyl exclusion zone. 
 An abandoned supermarket in Pripyat.  The city was once the home to nearly 50,000 people before it was evacuated several days after the Chernobyl disaster. 
An indoor swimming pool in Pripyat.  The pool, known as Azure, is one of three indoor swimming pools in Pripyat, but is the most well-known since it was featured in the video game "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare." The pool was used by workers for nearly a decade after the disaster at Chernobyl. 
 A calendar hangs on a wall inside of an apartment building in Pripyat. 
 The living room of an apartment inside of an apartment building in Pripyat. 
 An apartment in Pripyat. 
 A doll lays on a bunk bed in an abandoned nursery school in Kopachi Village in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  
 Cabinets sit empty in an abandoned home along an overgrown street inside Chernobyl's exclusion zone.
The  abandoned nursery school in Kopachi Village.
 A handwritten book sits in an abandoned village inside of the exclusion zone. 
 Bumper cars sit in the overgrown weeds and brush in Pripyat's amusement park.
 A building sits quiet along the former town center of Pripyat.
A man walks through the Woodworm Star Memorial in Chernobyl that shows the names of the two towns and 184 villages that were evacuated because of the radiation fallout from the disaster at Chernobyl in 1986.

To find out more about Chernobyl read Betsy Hiel's reporting in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Ukraine: Donetsk's Battle for Unity /  by Justin Merriman

 A woman watches out a bus window as several thousand pro-Russia demonstrators march past from a rally at Lenin Square towards Donetsk's regional administration building in Ukraine.
 A soldier mans an armored vehicle at a road leading to a Ukrainian Army encampment in a small village of Svobodnoe, sixty miles from the Russian border. Locals have helped distribute military clothing, boots, gloves, and other items needed by the under-prepared soldiers.
 Pro-Russia supporters demonstrate beneath the statue of Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin as a police officer stands watch during a protest in Lenin Square in Donetsk, Ukraine.
 A woman joins several thousand in a pro-Russia demonstration in Donetsk's Lenin Square.  Many protesters called for the return of Viktor Yanukovich, the Ukrainian president who fled to Russia last month after deadly protests in the capital, Kiev.
 A pro-Russia demonstrator stands in front of riot police to try and prevent any provocation by younger protestors as they line up in front of Donetsk's regional administration building.
 Several thousand pro-Russia demonstrators fill Lenin Square in Donetsk, Ukraine.
 Police in riot gear wait as several thousand pro-Russia demonstrators march towards them as they guard Donetsk's regional administration building.
 Several thousand pro-Russia supporters gather in Lenin Square in Donetsk, Ukraine on Sunday, for a second day in a row of demonstrations calling for the return of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and for a referendum to be held to join with Russia.
 A Ukrainian woman joins a demonstration of several thousand pro-Russia supporters in Lenin Square.
 Soldiers stand guard at a small road leading to a Ukrainian Army encampment in a small village of Svobodnoe, sixty miles from the Russian border, where some fear an invasion by the Russian army.
 A man with his face painted in the colors of Russia's flag talks to police at a pro-Russia demonstration in Lenin Square in Donetsk.
 A pro-Russia supporter chants during a demonstration in Lenin Square in Donetsk.
 Several thousand pro-Russia supporters gather in Lenin Square in Donetsk.
 Pro-Russia demonstrators fill Lenin Square in Donetsk.
 A pro-Russia supporter chants during a demonstration in Lenin Square in Donetsk.
 A woman yells at police as pro-Russia supporters march on Donetsk's regional administration building.
 Riot police line up in front of Donetsk's regional administration building as several thousand pro-Russia demonstrators marched from Lenin Square to the building.
 Pro-Russia supporters gather in Lenin Square in Donetsk.
 Pro-Russia supporters listen to speakers during a second-straight day of demonstrations in Donetsk's Lenin Square calling for the return of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and for a referendum to be held to join with Russia.
 Riot police line up in front of Donetsk's regional administration building.
 A woman stands with her dog, wearing the colors of Russia as a collar, during a demonstration of several thousand pro-Russia supporters in Lenin Square in Donetsk.
 Pro-Russia supporters remove the Ukrainian flag in front of Donetsk's City Hall during protests on Sunday.  Several thousand demonstrators marched from Lenin Square to government offices, for a second straight day of protests, calling for the return of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and for a referendum to be held to join with Russia.
 A demonstrator chants as he walks past police at the entrance to Donetsk's regional administration building.
 A pro-Russia demonstrator argues and points at riot police.
 A pro-Russia demonstrator poses for photos in front of riot police.
 Pro-Russia supporters hang the Russian flag from a flag pole after removing the Ukrainian flag in front of Donetsk's City Hall during protests.
A soldier stands guard at a small road leading to a Ukrainian Army encampment in a small village of Svobodnoe, sixty miles from the Russian border, where some fear an invasion by the Russian army.

To find out more about the situation in eastern Ukraine read Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Betsy Hiel's reporting about Donetsk's divide, continued protests, and activists fears to speak up for a united Ukraine.

Crimea: A Land Divided /  by Justin Merriman

 Armed men, believed to be a Russian soldiers, stand near a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye, near the Crimean city of Simferopol, on Saturday, March 15, 2014.
 On the eve of Crimea's referendum vote to join Russia, a cossack stands guard in front of parliament in the Crimean city of Simferopol.
 A young girl holds her father's hand during a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in the Crimean city of Simferopol.
 A woman and child walk by an armored vehicle in front of a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye.
 A resident of Ukraine's Crimea burns an invitation to vote in protest of Sunday's referendum vote in Simferopol, Ukraine.
 Muniver Umerova, 75, of Krasnogvardeyskoye, a Crimean Tatar, was 6-years-old when she like many other Tatars were forced out of Crimea and into exile in Uzbekistan by Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union.  It wasn't until 1990 that she finally returned to her homeland of Crimea.  Speaking of the current situation in Crimea, Umerova says, "I grieve very much.  I'm very saddened by this because with these Russians we didn't have any childhood, and now I can't finish my days in peace."
 A man beats his chest and screams as he joins nearly 2,000 pro-Ukraine demonstrators along a road in Krasnogvardeyskoye, Crimea. Many chanted "Crimea is not Russian, Crimea is Ukranian," as cars and trucks drove by honking their horns in support.
 Armed men, believed to be a Russian serviceman, stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye, near the Crimean city of Simferopol, where Ukrainian soldiers are besieged inside.
 A man peers out of his train car at the train station in Simferopol. Some people have fled Crimea for fear of violence during the referendum vote to join Russia.
 Elvera Umerova, left, and her mother, Muniver Umerova, center, watch Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov on a Tatar television station, with friend, Zrema Nasibulayeva, right, in their Krasnogvardeyskoye home in the Crimean peninsula.
 A woman chants as she stands along nearly 2,000 pro-Ukraine demonstrators who gathered along a road in Krasnogvardeyskoye.
 At a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye, armed men, believed to be a Russian soldiers, walk along a road outside of the base where Ukrainian soldiers are besieged inside. 
 Refat Umerov, 56, of Krasnogvardeyskoye, a Crimean Tatar, was born in exile in Uzbekistan, and now fears what could come for Tatars in Crimea.
 A man waves a flag as he joins a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in Simferopol on the eve of Crimea's referendum vote to join Russia.
 A man walks by a billboard in Simferopol, Ukraine as voting on the referendum began to either join Russia or become an effectively independent state connected to Ukraine.
 Elvera  Umerova, 56, a Crimean Tatar, looks out from a porch at her home in Krasnogvardeyskoye.
  A man holds his daughter on his shoulders during a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in the Crimean city of Simferopol.
 Oksana Rasskalova, 43, an artist who paints along a promenade next to the Black Sea in Yalta, a Russian by birth, believes that the outcome of Crimea's referendum vote is predictable, and that Crimea will become part of Russia.
 Refat Umerov, 56, a Crimean Tatar, sits at his table with his mother, Muniver Umerova, 75, left, at his home in Krasnogvardeyskoye.
 Oleg Ignatyev, 42, an artist and jeweler, supports the referendum in Crimea to join with Russia. "We have the same spirit as the Russians," he said.
 As the referendum vote date nears, some 2,000 pro-Ukraine demonstrators stand along a road in Krasnogvardeyskoye in the Crimean peninsula. 
 Cossacks stand guard in front of parliament in the Crimean city of Simferopol.
 A cossack stands guard in front of parliament where the Russian flag already hangs in the Crimean city of Simferopol.
 While many in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula try to live life as close to normal as possible, much uncertainty remains about what is to come after the March 16th referendum vote.
 Tamara Ushachova, 30, sits near her boyfriend, Vladimir Pikush, 42, in the shop she owns in Simferopol, Ukraine. Ushachova, who boycotted the referendum vote in Crimea, fears losing freedoms if Crimea becomes part of Russia.
 A police officer standing watch is silhouetted as some 2,000 pro-Ukraine demonstrators line a road.
 People watch as singers perform on stage during a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in Simferopol.
 A car waving Ukraine's flag, drives along a Crimean peninsula road. 
 Armed men, believed to be a Russian serviceman, stand beneath a Russian flag, outside of a Ukrainian military base in Perevalnoye.
 Pro-Russia posters hang on a tent near parliament in the Crimean city of Simferopol showing the benefits of Russia as compared to Crimea and Ukraine for gas prices, salaries and other items.
 A woman weeps with joy during a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in Simferopol on the eve of Crimea's referendum vote.
 Pro-Russia supporters rally, on the eve of Crimea's vote to join Russia, in Lenin Square, Simferopol.
 A man throws a dove into the air during a pro-Russia rally.
 A bride and groom stop at a pro-Russia rally in Lenin Square in Simferopol. The bride yelled out, "Make love not war," as she walked away after posing for several photographs.
 Lena Andrievscay, 25, who works in a cultural center, fears what may happen to her job after Sunday's referendum vote in Crimea.  Andrievscay voted early Sunday, choosing option 2 on the ballot: to stay with Ukraine but become an independent state, but with much more autonomy.
 Residents of Ukraine's Crimea line up to vote in referendum vote to join Russia in Simferopol, Ukraine.
 A man stands watch over the two ballot boxes at a polling location.
 A woman drops her ballot into a box after voting in Crimea's referendum vote.
 Votes in Crimea's referendum pile up in the bottom of a ballot box on Sunday in Simferopol, Ukraine.
 A man dances in the street in celebration of Crimea's referendum vote and expected joining with Russia in Simferopol, Ukraine.
 Women sing old Soviet songs on a street corner as people gather to celebrate the expected results of Crimea's referendum vote.
 A cossack in Simferopol, Ukraine wears a pin with the Order of St. George ribbon, established by Russia's Catherine the Great in 1769; the colors symbolize fire and gunpowder.
 People celebrate Crimea's referendum vote to join with Russia in Lenin Square in Simferopol, Ukraine.
 People celebrate Crimea's referendum vote to join with Russia.
 A man walks down a street carrying a Russian flag after Crimea's referendum vote to join with Russia.
Men tie the Russian flag around their shoulders as they walk around Simferopol, Ukraine on the night of the referendum vote to join with Russia.

To read more about the historic events that unfolded in Crimea, Ukraine, read Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's foreign correspondent Betsy Hiel's reporting on Crimea's referendum vote and Crimeans vote to join with Russia.

Ukraine: A Nation Waits /  by Justin Merriman

 A man with one of the self-defense units that protect Kiev's Maidan, Independence Square, sits in his tent near a small fire to stay warm.  Many in the square are paying close attention to the situation in Crimea and fear what is to come for Ukraine.
 A woman carries flowers as she looks over a memorial at one of the blockaded entrances to Kiev's Maidan, Independence Square.
 A young girl stands near one of the memorials for a opposition protester killed in clashes near one of the entrances to the Maidan.
 A single flower hangs from a shield as a memorial to a fallen protester.
 A young girl stands near a piece on exhibit in M17 Contemporary Art Center in Kiev.  The exhibit "The Flame of Love, Dedicated to the Maidan Artists" features work from artists who witnessed the dramatic events of this winter in Ukraine and created works from their experiences.
 Vladuslav Bitkovskuy, 31, an archeologist by trade, now heads a small division of one of the Maidan's self-defense units.  Bitkovskuy says he will continue to protect the Maidan until, "the structure of power is strong, social services work, people who beat people and are responsible for killing and kidnapping are brought to court."
 A woman walks from a barricaded entrance to Kiev's Maidan near a sign that reads: “Mr Putin, you can lie to your own people and humiliate my self-confidence, break my bones, and you can even kill me. However, you cannot take my freedom.”
 A cross hangs from a spot where bullets from a sniper still mark a light pole.
 Members of one of the self-defense units that protect Kiev's Maidan sit near a tent.
 People gather as musicians sing traditional Ukrainian music on a stage.  
 A man with one of the self-defense units stands near a line of people waiting for food as night falls on the square.
 A person stands near a piece on exhibit in M17 Contemporary Art Center in Kiev.
 Elizabeth Bielska, artistic director of M17 Contemporary Art Center in Kiev, says "The Maidan was our war. The United States, Great Britain and Russia, they are the guardians of our borders."
 Artist Boris Yeghiazaryan stands near his work on exhibit in M17 Contemporary Art Center in Kiev.  
 A man with one of the self-defense units sleeps in his tent.
 Kiev's Maidan, Independence Square, was a beautiful destination for tourists and now is a burnt-out remnant of what it once was.
 A Ukranian man lights his pipe as he sits in Kiev's Maidan.
A woman looks over a memorial at one of the blockaded entrances to Kiev's Independence Square.

To read more about the situation in Ukraine read Betsy Hiel's reporting in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Ukraine: The Maidan /  by Justin Merriman

A woman walks past a line of flowers near one of the barricaded entrances to Kiev's Maidan, Independence Square, on Saturday, March 8, 2014. Memorials for those killed are scattered throughout the square, and are now honored as martyrs.
Tulips hang from the barbed wire of one of the barricaded entrances.
A memorial to Armenian Sergey Nikoyan, the first person killed in clashes with police in the Maidan.
A woman holds a sign up as she takes part in a demonstration as part of International Women's Day.
A man walks by posters that hang along the street in the Maidan.
Crimean Tatars demonstrate in Kiev's Independence Square on Saturday against Russia's occupation of Crimea.
A woman joins a demonstration by Crimean Tatars.
People demonstrate against Russia's occupation of Crimea.
A member of the security forces joins protests in the Maidan.
A woman weeps at one of the memorials in Kiev's Maidan.
People join in demonstrations in the Maidan.
A Crimean Tatar demonstrates against Russia's occupation of Crimea.
A man stands along a street near one of the barricaded entrances to Kiev's Independence Square on Saturday.  Many Ukrainians are mixed with feelings of joy and sorrow but also fear of what may come.
A man's shadow is cast against a sign against Putin and his occupation of Crimea. 
A nun is seen through a sliver of space in a crowd as she prays at one of the memorials in Kiev's Maidan on Saturday, March 8, 2014. Memorials for those killed are scattered throughout the square, and are now honored as martyrs.

To read more about the situation in Ukraine read Betsy Hiel's reporting in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.


Cupid's Undie Run /  by Justin Merriman

Runners take to the streets in the Cupid's Undie Run on the South Side on Saturday, February 15, 2014. Pittsburgh's fundraiser run raised over $108,000 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.